Means for processing long and short stapled fibrous material



1962 G. FLEISSNER 3,047,911

PROCESSING LONG A SHORT LED FIBR MATER Filed 001.. 1958 MEANS F S INVENTOR GEROLD FLEISSNER BY 71% M 1m ATTORNEYS.

3,tl47,911 MEANS FOR PRUCESEEING LONG AND SHORT fiTAlPLED FEERGUS MATERIAL Gerold Fleissner, Wolfsgartenstr. 6, Egelshach, Germany Filed Get. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 771,105 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 19, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl. 19-96) The present invention relates, in general, to means for processing fibrous material and, in particular, -to a plucking or opening apparatus for treating and opening fibrous sheet material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means contributing to a highly efficient opening apparatus for processing both long-stapled and short-stapled fibrous material. In carrying out the invention it is desirable to use small diameter rollers for clamping and feeding short-stapled fibrous material and large diameter rollers for clamping and feeding long-stapled fibrous material. As can be readily understood, small diameter rollers have relatively sharp contact areas while the larger diameter rollers have relatively duller contact areas. Hence, if long-stapled fibrous materials are fed onto small diameter rollers, the sharp contact areas will serve to pull and tear the long fibers in an undesirable manner while, when using large diameter rollers with short-stapled fibrous material, many of the fibers of short length will not be engaged by the clamping means and hence a large percentage of the fibers will not be opened.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means conducive to an efficacious and economical clamping arrangement having provision to selectively accommodate both long-stapled and short-stapled fibrous sheet material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an opening apparatus having fixed clamping means which, nevertheless, can accommodate selectively both longstapled and short-stapled fibrous material.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an opening apparatus which can accommodate selectively both long-stapled and short-stapled fibrous material and which is of generally simplified construction and which can be manufactured and sold at a relatively low price.

These and other objects of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing showing preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing which illustrates the best modes presently contemplated or" carrying out the invention:

FlG. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic or schematic illustration of an apparatus, using a plurality of pairs of rollers, for carrying out the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the invention, utilizing one fixed roller and a plurality of selectively adjustable rollers; and

FIG. 3 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 2 inanother operating condition thereof.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is disclosed a carriage 1 provided with a first pair of clamping rollers 3 and a second pair of clamping rollers 4 through which fibrous sheet material is fed from a conveyor It) to an opening or plucking drum 2 for opening and suitably drawing out the sheet material during the processing thereof. As shown, the conveyor l may be of conventional construction and comprises an endless belt ll mounted on a conveyor drive roller 12 and a driven roller 13 to feed the fibrous sheet material to a pair of clamping rollers, as indicated by the arrow 14.

l The opening drum 2 may be also of conventional Patented Aug. 7, 1952 or elements 15 and being driven in a conventional manner for rotation in the direction of the arrow 16.

Pursuant to an important aspect of the present invention provision is made to operatively selectively interpose pairs of clamping rollers of different diameters be tween the conveyor id and the drum 2 so as to accommodate the particular staple length of the fibrous material. For example, and not by way of limitation, it may be desirable to use large diameter clamping rollers for longstapled material and small diameter clamping rollers for short-stapled material. In this connection, the carriage l is provided with a pair of large diameter clamping rollers 3 and a pair of small diameter clamping rollers 4 so that either pair of rollers may be selectively guided and adjusted in proper position, as closely as possible to the periphery of the drum, and between the latter and the discharge end of the conveyor 10. In order to effect the reciprocation of the carriage in the direction of the arrows 17 the latter may be provided with any suitable driving mechanism. Any suitable and conventional means for adjusting the position of the rollers 3 and the rollers 4 may be employed, which particular adjustment means form no special part of the invention and are not illustrated. Further, the rollers may be driven by an conventional means, not illustrated.

For example, as shown, provision is made for a hand wheel or handle 5 of the star type conventionally formed of crossed rods and provided with a gear 18 which engages a rack 6 to which there is affixed the plate 19 which mounts the paired rollers so that rotation of the handle 5 in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows 2%, will effect the reciprocation of the carriage. More specifically, clockwise rotation of the handle, viewing FIG. 1, will move the carriage toward the upper end of the drawing. Such movement will move the large rollers 3, for

long-stapled material, away from the operative illustrated disposition thereof and will move the smaller rollers 4, for short-stapled material, from the illustrated inoperative disposition thereof into the operative position occupied by the rollers 3. It will be understood that suitable stops are provided for movement of the carriage 1 in each direction so that each pair of rollers is automatically brought into operating position, provision being made to releasably lock the carriage in each operating position thereof. The reference character A of FIG. 1 designates screws which, in a known manner, can clamp the slide 1 in any position along the rack 6 by tightening of the screws A. In FIGS. 2 and 3 the lever 25 has been illustrated as provided with a known type of check nut designated C whereby the handle may be selectively locked in any angularly adjusted position.

The two rollers of each pair of rollers are interconnected by gears and one of these gears is always meshed or coupled with a driving gear when the pair of rollers is moved into operating position. It is preferable that the number of revolutions of the driving gear can be varied so as to vary the speed of rotation of the paired rollers. More specifically, it will be understood that the drive gear is opposite the lower one of the rollers of each pair so that the axis passing through the driving and driven gears is inclined by ninety degrees from the axis of displacement of the carriage.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that by simple manipulation of the handle 5 the proper size of clamping rollers may be readily guided and locked in operative position between the conveyor and the drum 2 so as to clamp the fibrous material as it passes from the conveyor to the drum, the rollers being automatically energized when moved into proper position. In certain cases, it may be advisable to make the feed conveyor 1t 3 adjustable both in length and in height since, due to the differences in their diameters, the paired rollers, when in operating position, are not at the same distance from the delivery end of the conveyor.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 in detail, there is shown another embodiment of the invention utilizing a rotary conveyor 16A to feed the fibrous sheet material through an adjusting clamping mechanism to the drum 2. Pur suant to the present arrangement, provision is made for a lower clamping roller 21 which remains in fixed position, and which is suitably driven by means of a drivegear arrangement of conventional type. A disc or plate 22 is mounted for rotary or pivotal movement about the pivot 23a. The disc is provided with a small diameter roller 23 and with a large diameter roller 24 having substantially the same diameter as roller 21, for the selective adjustment of said rollers into operating relationship with the fixed roller 21 to form a pair of clamping rollers for clamping the sheet material as it passes from the feed means MA to the elements '15 of the drum. It will be apparent that the smaller roller 23 is mounted closer to the rim of the disc than the larger roller'24 in order to be properly disposed relative to the fixed roller 21. However, it will be understood that this is not necessary in a case where the disc is mounted eccentrically. With the described arrangement, it is most expedient to connect the fixed roller 21 with a drive means.

However, it will be understood that, if desired, the adjustable roller may be releasably engaged with a drive means, as it is moved into operating position. The stationary roller 21 is preferably provided with a gear which tion means are utilized. Provision is made for a rocking lever 25 provided with a gear 26 which meshes with peripheral teeth 27 provided on the disc 22. For example,

rotation of the handle lever 25 in the direction of the arrow 28 moves disc 22 in the direction of the arrow 29 about the pivot 23a. It will be understood that a suitable stop is provided for the disc 22 for each of the rollers 23 and 24 so as to stop the movement of the disc when each roller is in its operating position.

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the parts for processing long-stapled material, the large roller 24 mes-hing with roller 21. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the parts for processing short-stapled material. Comparing FIG. 3 with FIG. 2 it will be apparent that lever 25 has been moved in the direction of arrow 3th to rotate disc 22 in the direction of arrow 31 to mesh roller 23 with roller 21.

It is preferable that the roller 21 be provided on a flexible mounting and that it be readily removable and replaceable. Furthermore, it is preferable that roller 21 be provided with guiding and mounting means which can be adjusted both vertically and laterally. Furthermore, to assure that the fibrous material is correctly guided, additional guide means can be provided, if required, in the direction of flow of the material. In lieu of separate stops for each of the two operating positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, provision may be made to limit the teeth 27 to a portion only of the periphery of the disc 22 and thereby provide the stops.

Various chwges and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present in vention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus for processing fibrous sheet material comprising opening means, means for feeding said sheet material to said opening means, means operable to clamp said sheet material in the feed path thereof between said feeding means and said opening means, said clamping means comprising a first roller fixedly mounted between said feed means and said opening means, a pair of rollers of different respective diameters, and means for selectively positioning one of said pair of rollers in operative relation with said first roller.

2. Apparatus for processing fibrous sheet material comprising opening means, means for feeding said sheet material to said opening means, means operable to clamp said sheet material in the feed path thereof between said feeding means and said opening means, said clamping means comprising a first roller fixedly mounted between said feed means and said opening means, a pair of rollers of difierent respective diameters, and means for selectively positioning one of said pair of rollers in operative relation with said first roller, one roller of said pair being of the same diameter as said first roller and the other roller of said pair being of a smaller diameter.

3. Apparatus for processing fibrous sheet material comprising opening means, means for feeding said sheet material to said opening means, means operable to clamp said sheet material in the feed path thereof between said feeding means and said opening means, said clamping means comprising a first roller fixedly mounted between said feed means and said opening means, a pair of rollers of different respective diameters, means for selectively positioning one of said pair of rollers in operative relation with said first roller, said last mentioned means comprising a disc mounted for rotation relative to said first roller, said pair of rollers being mounted by said disc, and means for rotating said disc in opposite directions to selectively position one of said pair of rollers adjacent said first roller.

4. Apparatus for processing fibrous material of shortstapled length or long-stapled length comprising, in combination, opening means, feeding means spaced from said opening means for feeding said material along a predetermined path to said opening means; first means, including a pair of cooperating feed rollers, operable to grip and feed long-stapled material from said feeding means to said opening means; second means, including a pair of cooperating feed rollers, operable to grip and feed shortstapled material from said feeding means to said opening means; and a movable support operatively associated with both said first means and said second means and selectively positionable to place either said first means or said second means in feeding position between said feeding means and said opening means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which one of the pair of cooperating feed rollers of said first means is a relatively large diameter roller, and one of the pair of cooperating feed rollers of said second means is a relatively small diameter roller.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said movable support comprises a slide adjustable along a fixed path intercepting the feed path between said feeding means and said opening means; said pairs of cooperating rollers of said first and second means being spaced apart longitudinally of said slide.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the rollers of said first means are a pair of relatively large diameter cooperating feed rollers, and the rollers of said second means are a pair of relatively small diameter cooperating feed rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,305,639 Rockwell Dec. 22, 1942 2,734,230 Martin et al. Feb. 14, 1956 2,747,235 Wallace May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 726,733 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1955 

